SRAM Athletes Score Five Cyclocross National Titles

SRAM cyclocross athletes earned five national titles across Europe and the U.S. this weekend riding SRAM Force 1 HRD® and RED eTap HRD® groupsets with Zipp 202 and 303 Firecrest Tubular wheelsets.

Main photo credit: Wil Matthews Photo

Wout van Aert on his way to winning the Belgian national cyclocross title. Photo credit: Cycle Photos, Balint Hamvas

Europe

Wout van Aert (Crelan-Charles) racked up a third Belgian national cyclocross championship title beating out silver medalist Laurens Sweeck by 42 seconds in Koksijde. The reigning World Champ repeatedly attacked his rival until he was able to open a gap in lap six that Sweeck could not bridge, a gap that continued to widen all the way to the finish. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot celebrates as she earns her third cyclocross national title. Photo credit: Thomas Maheux

In her triumphant return to cyclocross, Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (CANYON//SRAM Racing) once again proved that she is back to winning form by gaining a third French National Championship title. Winning by a minute and 20 seconds over rival Caroline Mani, Ferrand-Prévot’s season is building steam in anticipation of the World Championships in Valkenburg in just a few weeks.

Boels-Dolmans team member, Christine Majerus has continued her streak as the strongest female cyclist to ever come from Luxembourg with a ninth cyclocross national championship title to add to her palmarès. This brings her career national championship tally to 28, including her 11 time trial titles and eight road race titles.

Stephen Hyde leads Jeremy Powers.Photo credit: Wil Matthews Photo

U.S.

It was a simple and compelling battle. Stephen Hyde of Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld wanted to repeat as U.S. Elite Men’s Cyclocross Champ. Jeremy Powers, the 2016 champ, wanted his title back. Powers rode his most inspired race of the season, splintering the field in Reno to just a few contenders in the opening laps. Competitors and old friends Stephen Hyde and Jeremy Powers embrace after crossing the finish line. Photo credit: Wil Matthews Photo

By the decisive point in the race, just Hyde and his one-time mentor Powers remained. In the final hilly and technical section of the final lap, Hyde finally pulled away by a few precious seconds to secure the victory in front of the thoroughly entertained crowd.

Ellen Noble gets tangled up in streamers at the finish of the U.S. Women's elite race. Photo credit: Wil Matthews Photo

In the Elite Women’s race, which saw Katie Compton win a 14th straight title, Aspire Racing’s Ellen Noble took silver in a hard-fought race against a true legend of women’s cyclocross. Noble, a first-year Elite Women’s competitor, won the U23 title a year ago. Kaitie Keough of Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld took bronze.

Emma White joyously crosses the line first in the U23 U.S. Women's race. Photo credit: Wil Matthews Photo

The highly successful weekend for the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld team also included a U23 Women’s title for Emma White, who gained her gold medal with an almost race-long solo move to best second-place finisher, Clara Honsinger.